Understanding Differences
by artgurl8D
Summary: Where was Legolas during the Hobbit? Listen,as he tells his tale...well, sort of.  Legolas, the Fellowship, Bilbo and a few others
1. Chapter 1

Hey Everyone! Thank you for reading. So i figure this is probably going to be a 2-3 shot. not really sure yet, but it will be short. and dont worry to those of you who are reading _survival_, im still working on it too.

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><p>The Fellowship had been walking for miles and miles and miles and Pippin was exhausted! They had been walking all day. All the young hobbit wanted to do was sleep. Well, first we wanted to eat, and then he could sleep.<p>

Finally, Gandalf called a halt to the small company at sunset and all of the Fellowship went about doing their assigned jobs for making camp. Sam and Frodo started to prepare the food for cooking their evening meal, while Merry and Pippin went to collect firewood. Legolas had gone to scout the surrounding wooded area and Boromir and Gimli were standing guard. Gandalf and Aragorn were quietly discussing the route that the Fellowship should take.

Pippin breathed a sigh of relief when he and Merry stepped out of view from the Fellowship. All day, there had been a tense atmosphere travelling with the group. The tension was so thick it was nearly palpable. Everyone was stressed.

The day had started off well enough. Sam had made a delicious breakfast and Merry had sneaked his younger cousin some extra beacon. But then…. _something _had happened to Legolas's water skin. Now, Pippin did not know who had played the prank, but he knew for certain it was not Merry or himself. Actually, Frodo and Sam should be added to that group because Pippin was almost certain that both Hobbits had also slept through the night.

Not to mention that when Legolas had abruptly spit out the water in his mouth, which was very strange to see from an elf, Gandalf had closed his eyes, shook his head and looked heavenward. Aragorn too had a strange expression come over his face. The most surprising reaction was Legolas. After he had finished gagging and spitting, his eyes narrowed dangerously and his head slowly turned towards Gimli. The tall elf had taken a deep breath and just… stared. A dark and threatening aura seemed to radiate from the ethereal creature, as though he were stalking his prey. Aragorn looked like a tightly wound coil, ready to jump and restrain Legolas at a moment's notice. Pippin had turned his head towards the dwarf and he noticed that the bearded creature's face had gone white and his eyes were very large. Pippin realized that _Gimli_ just realized what a dangerous position he had put himself into.

Now to be fair to both parties involved, both the elf and the dwarf had been playing pranks on each other since this whole walking-quest thing began. One would prank one day and the other would prank the next. It was just the way it was, but yesterday had been a bad day. Frodo had been talking to Gimli for most of the trek yesterday and, of course, Bilbo's adventures came up. They talked about Gloin and Thorin and all of them, but when they got to the part about Mirkwood, things had gotten…rather ugly. Gimli had loudly talked about how poorly "the sick, twisted elves" and their "gold-hoarding, selfish, evil elf King" had treated the dwarves.

And he had gone on and on, and on all afternoon. Now, Legolas had managed to keep his temper under control for the whole day, until the Fellowship had sat down for dinner. Gimli said something under his breath, which Pippin had heard because he has good ears, about Legolas's mother and the next thing Pippin knew, Legolas had actually leaped _over _the fire to attack Gimli. Thankfully, Aragorn, Boromir and Gandalf had seen it coming; Pippin had been too absorbed in eating at the time to do more than listen. The wizard and the two men had managed to pull them apart before Gimli lost his life at the hands of an enraged elf. Aragorn had to forcibly drag Legolas into the woods and Gandalf had whacked Gimli's helm with his staff. Those two had a very long talk at the edge of camp.

It was sometime later when Aragorn and Legolas returned to their small clearing and it was very strange. And scary.

Legolas came and sat down next to Aragorn and he stared at Gimli for the rest of the night. That's all he did. He just stared at him.

And then this morning, Gimli did something to Legolas's water. Thankfully the elf did not try to attack Gimli again, but he did have a heated debate with Aragorn in whispered elvish. Frodo's face and ears turned red and his eyes had gotten very large. Pippin had asked for a translation, but Frodo had dazedly shaken his head no.

So, Pippin was glad to get away. The tension was thick and everyone was waiting for the retribution they all _knew_ Gimli was going to get.

It is strange though, that Legolas had not mentioned anything about seeing the group of dwarves in his home when Gimli and Frodo spoke yesterday. The elf did _live_ in Mirkwood, after all. He must have seen them, unless he was not there. All this life, Pippin had heard Bilbo's recounting of the tale and yesterday, he had heard Gimli's, which was actually Gloin's, recounting. Pippin decided that he wanted a different perspective, and he knew just who to ask.

"Pip! What _are_ you smiling at?" Merry's confused and somewhat annoyed voice cut through his thoughts. How could the hobbit be smiling right now? The whole day had been terrible!

"Nothing, Merry." was all the tween replied. His smile however, suggested otherwise.

After the evening meal, the Fellowship sat about the fire. Some people were talking, some were smoking their pipes and others were just sitting there, thinking. For the last few weeks, someone would tell a story before Gandalf told everyone to go to sleep. Pippin rather liked these times. He enjoyed hearing stories he had not heard a thousand times. Sadly, last night there was no story.

Pippin could not sit still any longer. It was time.

"Legolas," the young hobbit started, drawing everyone's attention, "I've been thinking."

An "Oh, no." came from Merry and a groan from Sam. Pippin shot the two a glare, before returning his attention to Legolas. The Elf was waiting with small smirk on his face. The tall elf really did enjoy Pippin's curiosity. Legolas nodded for Pippin to continue, which he did. His words came out in a rush. He did not even stop for a breath.

"Well, I was thinking that since Bilbo and Gloin and the other dwarves came to your home, you must have seen them, right? I mean, I have never heard you say anything about it. And why not? Where you there for it? You must have been there; it is your home after all. What was it like? Were you afraid of them? Why did the dwarves get put into the dungeon? Why don't you ever speak of it? Did something happen that the dwarves have not told anyone? Of did it happen the way they said it did? Did they –"

"Pippin." Gandalf cut the Hobbit off with a warning in his voice.

Legolas, and everyone else, looked as though their heads were spinning. After a few moments, in which everyone leaned in to hear the elf's answers, Legolas replied.

He seemed to choose his words carefully as he spoke. "I … was not there, when Bilbo, Gloin and the others came to my –"

This time, Legolas was cut off by Gandalf saying his name, before adding, "What have I always told you since you were a child? If you are going to tell the truth, tithen pen, tell the _whole_ truth."

Pippin looked at Legolas and then to Gandalf. There was something in Gandalf's eyes that suggested he knew this story. It was almost as if the old wizard knew a secret. Under the beard was a smirk!

Legolas narrowed his eyes as he stared hard at the Istari. What was the old man driving at? Legolas knew that Gandalf wanted him to tell the _whole _story, but he could not figure out why. What significance could the little part that he actually knew have now? Well, he was not going to make it easy on the old, manipulative bag of bones who _insisted _on having a _dwarf_ on this quest!

Looking back to Pippin, who he could see was furiously trying to figure out what was going on, Legolas tried again.

"I was there for part of their stay."

Gimli harrumphed at his answer before climbing to his feet and bellowing, "So, you were among those to capture and imprison my father? You admit it then?"

Gandalf's voice cut through before Legolas could respond. "Gimli! Sit!" With much grumbling under his breath, which Gandalf chose to ignore, the dwarf complied. A moment later, Gandalf spoke again. "Legolas, I think it is time that you tell your story."

Legolas attempted to argue, but only got a "But" out before he was silenced by a glare that reminded the young elf far too much of his father.

With a resigned sigh the elf began his tale. "When the small group came to Greenwood, I was in the South…on patrol…"

"_Legolas, wake up!" Nimdoron hissed. Legolas jerked awake, immediately sat up and instinctually reached for his weapons, still managing to keep stay on the branches he was precariously balanced on. Nimdoron backed up when he saw that Legolas was awake and waited for his captain's attention. Looking around, Legolas saw that a few of his Lieutenants were waking up the rest of the patrol. Turning his attention to Nimdoron, his second in command, Legolas gave him a questioning look._

"_The trees are warning us of orcs. They are great in number and headed this way. They will be here in a few minutes." the dark haired elf answered grimly. _

_Legolas stood with a nod and proceeded to give out orders. For whatever reason, the orcs had been trying to make a break past the patrols. They seemed to attack with no thought; they were brutal and more savage than normal. No matter what the cost, the orcs were just trying to get past them._

_With a shake of his head, Legolas crouched on his branches and drew his bow. Stringing an arrow, Legolas waited and listened. He could hear them coming. The patrol should have been warned earlier than a few minutes, but the trees here in the south were either perverted or dead. Those still alive did not speak the way the trees farther north did. The evil of Dul Guldor had corrupted everything here. Even elves that stayed in the south for too long began to feel the Dark Lord's evil influence. After more than eight or so months, most elves went mad down here. That's why a patrol in the south never lasted more than six months. In one month, Legolas's six-month patrol would be up. One month to go. _

_Refocusing his thoughts, Legolas narrowed his eyes, looking for movement. They were almost here._

_Suddenly, a large host of orcs came crashing through the forest. Archers and swords men came running out together with no order in their ranks. They were simply charging._

_At his first sighting, Legolas released an arrow and quickly restrung and shot again. The others in his patrol did the same. Orcs were being pushed backwards from the force of the elves' arrows. Their bodies were beginning to pile up and the orcs further back were being forced to climb over their comrade's bodies. _

_Legolas almost did not see the orc arrow flying through the air towards him. He barely managed to duck in time and received a nick on his shoulder. Quickly restringing his bow, Legolas took aim and fired, instantly killing the archer who had shot at him. _

_There were too many orcs and Legolas and his patrol could not keep the orcs from gaining ground. Slowly, the orcs pushed forward._

_A sharp cry rang out and Legolas saw that Quesse had been hit by an arrow. Legolas allowed a small sigh of relief as he saw that the small elleth's wound was not life threatening. _

_Next to him, Nimdoron's voice rang out clearly. "We have runners!"_

_Shocked, Legolas turned to see that a group of eight orcs had made it past their line and were running north. Legolas gave a sharp whistle and pointed at Heledir._

_Leaping gracefully to a tree behind him, Legolas gave chase with Heledir hot on his captain's heels. Legolas was able to catch up to the slowest of the group first. He strung his bow and shot the orc dead, without even stopping to check the kill. He already knew. _

_Reaching back for another arrow as he ran doggedly through the dense and intertwined trees, Legolas's hand met empty air. He was out of arrows. Putting away his bow, he drew his knives. _

_The orcs were running unnaturally fast. Legolas was having a hard time gaining ground. He needed to go faster. A moment later, Legolas sensed a gap in the trees before him. Sheathing his weapons, Legolas grabbed a branch directly in front of him and swung himself forward, feet first. His body arched through the air and he curled forward as he flew. The elf landed gracefully on the next tree and continued running. A moment later, Heledir landed behind him. The two heavily armed warriors continued to run. When they caught sight of the remaining orcs, Legolas glanced behind him at his friend. The blonde elf pointed upwards and Heledir nodded his head, even though he knew Legolas could not see him. Heledir slowed down and strung his bow. Legolas picked up his frantic pace, trying to cut off the head of the small pack. Legolas and Heledir were going to attack the orcs from two fronts. Legolas dodged tree branches and jumped from tree to tree at a reckless speed until he found himself slightly ahead of the lead orc. _

_Legolas suddenly drew his twin knives and leaped out of the tree with both weapons parallel with his raised arms. He was headed straight towards the head orc._

"Wait, wait, wait!" Pippin's excited voice cut Legolas off. "What do you mean; you leaped out of the tree?"

Legolas nodded his head and was about to continue, when Boromir interrupted.

"I do not understand, you jumped out of the tree at an orc. What were you planning on doing when you actually landed on the ground?" he asked incredulously. This story seemed fictitious to the Gondorian. Gimli apparently agreed with the man's thoughts because he scoffed openly at the elf.

Legolas turned to look at the dwarf and he drew his weapons. The elf menacingly twirled his long knives and glared at Gimli. Aragorn was surprised when the dwarf glared back. Although, the ranger did see Gimli gulp when Legolas started twirling his blades.

Legolas finally turned his attention back to Boromir and Aragorn sighed in relief. Legolas gave his blades a final twirl, with his arms bent upwards, just as they had been in the story. The twin knives gleamed with reflected fire light as Legolas held them blade down. He truly looked the part of the predator and Pippin felt a sliver of fear run through him. The hobbit was beginning to realize that the elf was actually very dangerous, or at least that is how it seemed to him. One moment, he was warm and kind and in the next, he was cold and merciless. A killer.

With a flick of his right wrist, Legolas's blade danced in what might have been a parrying move.

"I was not aiming for the ground, Son of Denethor, but the orc." The elf said, with a dangerous smile on his face as his gaze once again found the dwarf.

_Legolas suddenly drew his twin knives and leaped out of the tree, with both weapons parallel with his raised arms , straight towards the head orc. With tremendous force, the elf and his knives crashed into the orc leader and it died instantly. Both elf and orc went tumbling to the ground. Legolas had used the orc to cushion his fall. Quickly pulling his knives from the carcass beneath him, Legolas stood to see Heledir executing Legolas's command to stay in the tress and fire his arrows down on the orc. There were four more left to go. _

_A particularly brutish orc charged Legolas and he was able to sidestep the large creature. The orc, once it realized its back was exposed, swung its sword wildly backwards, attempting to hit the elf. Legolas danced out of range and the orc charged once again. Legolas threw one of his knives into the orc's exposed neck and killed the creature. It dropped lifelessly to the ground a moment later. _

"_What a mess." Legolas thought as he ran to collect his knife. Looking arund, he saw one archer and one sword bearer left. _

_Just as he collected his sword and turned to face his next foe, who had hoped to creep up on an unsuspecting elf, Legolas was knocked backwards by a blow to his right shoulder. Hitting the ground hard, pain exploded in the elf's body and Legolas could barely think. He knew he was in danger and needed to get up, but his body would not cooperate. Legolas began to panic as stars dance in his blurred vision. How long had passed? Seconds? Minutes? Where was the orc?_

_An equally blurred, dark shape suddenly loomed in his field of vision and Legolas tightened his grip on his knife. When the thing grew closer, Legolas heard the painful Dark Speech and without hesitation, he lashed out with his right knife. He stabbed the orc in the gut and twisted to make sure he actually killed it. His grip became slick and he could not hold onto the knife any longer as the orc hissed and cursed as it died. Thankfully, that abomination did not fall on top of him. It fell to the side and Legolas moved to stand. His vision cleared and he was able to regain his breath. Looking around he saw that the orc were dead and Heledir was making his way over, checking the bodies of the orc as he went. _

_Legolas realized he felt his heart throbbing in his shoulder and when he looked down, he saw an arrow protruding from his flesh. With a wave of dizziness and a sudden bout of pain and nausea, Legolas firmly put his left hand onto the arrow shaft. With a mighty heave, Legolas ripped the arrow out. The pain was intense and he nearly passed out. He did however, fall to his knees. _

"You ripped it out? By yourself?" Merry exclaimed with shock and disgust on his face.

"Oh, Merry!" Pippin whined, "Let him finish the story!" Frodo rolled his eyes at his cousins.

Legolas simply said "Yes." and was about to continue when Gimli cut him off this time.

"Let us see it then, elf. The scar." He said, almost haughtily. Gimli did not believe this story one bit. Elves flying through trees and talking trees no less.

The blonde elf narrowed his eyes once again at the dwarf. Gimli was really pushing it tonight. By tomorrow the Fellowship might be down one member! But now he had something to prove, so he did unbutton the collar of his tunic and roughly pulled the right side down to expose his shoulder. And there it was, a scar. The skin was puckered and misshapen around the area and even Gimli had to admit, that though it was an unusual looking scar, it was indeed a scar.

With a satisfied smirk, Legolas re-buttoned his tunic and continued his story.

_With a mighty heave, Legolas ripped the arrow out. The pain was intense and he nearly passed out. He did however, fall to his knees. Sucking gulps of air, Legolas tried to force his mind to focus and concentrate on breathing. If he passed out now, Heledir would be exposed, well more exposed, to the enemy. He would be forced to protect them both. A moment later, Legolas heard Heledir call his name and the warrior came to him to examine the wound. While Heledir poked and prodded the sensitive area, Legolas took the opportunity to examine the arrow head. What he saw gave him a chill._

_The arrowhead was covered in a sticky, slimy, black substance. It was most likely poison. Legolas shivered again. Who was he kidding? It __**was**_ _poison. Heledir must have seen the same thing he did, because the elf suddenly started talking faster than he had been and he was trying to pull Legolas up. Legolas blinked as he tried to focus on what was being said, but found that he could not. His mind suddenly felt…numb. Abruptly, the world tipped sideways and Legolas could not keep his balance anymore._

_The blonde elf, whose wound was now bleeding freely, lay on the ground, unable to move. He knew that he should get up, but frankly he was cold and far too tired. Heledir, who was leaning above him, looked worried though, so maybe he should get up. _

_Legolas gave it a valiant effort, only to realize that his entire body felt numb. Legolas blinked, trying to remain awake, but everything had suddenly grown dark. All color had faded from the forest and Legolas blinked his eyes lethargically, trying to clear his vision. Shapes began to blur and swirl and a dull roar sounded in his ears._

_The last thing he saw were the leaves blowing in the trees above him._

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><p>Hey everyone, thanks sooo much for reading! please dont forget to review the chapter. i appreciate any feedback! (and you should check my other stories too! )<p>

For those of you who care:

Nimdoron means white oak. nim is white, doron is oak

Quesse means feather and

Heledir means Kingfisher

I always wondered where Legolas was during the hobbit. im sorry if things go off canon a bit. im calling it creative licence lol

Anyway, thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

"That's it?" an irate Pippin stood and exclaimed. He gestured wildly with his hands as he continued, "That can't be it! What happens next? I mean, I understand that you lived and all, because you're here, but there has to be more to the story. I did not get to hear anything about the dwarves and Bilbo!"

"I do not remember much after that. I was more or less unconscious for the remainder of their stay." Legolas said apologetically with a shrug of his shoulders. He looked into the fire, deep in thought. He seemed to be trying to remember anything to satiate the Hobbit's curiosity. After a moment, he looked back up and said "Sorry." to the tween.

Pippin looked crestfallen and he sat back down dejectedly. He rested his elbow on his knees and his chin on his palm.

Gandalf almost took pity on him. There was a story that needed to be told here. Legolas and Gimli had their problems, their differences, which needed to be worked out. If they were not, the old Wizard sensed ruin. The entire Fellowship would be put in danger because of the strife between the elf and dwarf. Gloin blamed Thrandiul for their imprisonment and in turn, Gimli blamed Legolas. There was more of the story, though, that neither party knew. Up until Frodo and his cousins had been brought to Rivendell, Legolas had not known why the dwarves had come and how they had left. He had not known how those events helped shape the future, as he did now. He had heard Bilbo's tale in the Hall of Fire more than once.

Now it was Gimli's turn to be educated and it needed to be done without Gandalf's insistence. The Wizard had already tried to speak to both of them and it had worked to a point. Though, it simply was not good enough. So, he could help it along, but Gandalf had to make sure his motives were not too obvious.

So, he waited. He waited for Pippin's inquisitive mind to ask the question. The old man could practically see the wheels turning in the young being's mind.

At that moment, Pippin's eyes lit up and his head snapped up to look at Legolas. Here we go.

"Wait, you said you don't remember _much_, right?" The Hobbit was practically vibrating with excitement now. "What _do_ you remember?" Again, everyone turned to look at the elf.

Legolas looked lost for a moment as he sifted through what memories he actually had of the time. They were disjointed and scrambled. Nothing had made sense then and it still did not make sense now.

"I remember… faces. Heledir and Nimdoron were above me, talking to me I think." He said slowly, as though he were trying to translate the images in his memory into words. "I remember my father holding my hand…. and my mother with tears in her eyes. I also saw the faces of my sister and brothers. And I remember feeling as though I was freezing to death… and inversely, at times I felt that I had been thrown into Oroduin. I think -"

"Wait, Master Elf," Boromir interrupted incredulously, "You know what it feels like to freeze to death?" Aragorn rolled his eyes; Boromir was reading to deeply into what Legolas was saying. "Well," Aragorn pursed his lips and thought, "perhaps not. Legolas and I nearly did freeze to death on the High Pass twenty…five years ago."

Legolas looked a bit embarrassed before he answered a "Yes" with a shrug. All Boromir said was "Oh" and motioned for Legolas to continue.

"I remember pain, mostly." Here the elf paused, wringing his hands together. It seemed to those gathered that he would rather not share this part. "And I saw dark shapes all around me, specters perhaps. Sometimes they were orc. Sometimes they were the Nine or friends who had died long ago. Though, I do remember most clearly seeing a small creature, bathed in fire and shadow, standing outside the door of the healing wing. Sometimes the creature would enter and sit beside my bed and other times it would just stand there in the corner of the room. I always thought it was a demon of some sorts. I could never get a good look at it though."

Frodo gasped and his eyes opened wide as he looked at Legolas. It was as if he was seeing him in a whole new light! "It was you!" the Ringbearer breathed.

Legolas's brow was furrowed in confusion and he was about to ask Frodo what he meant when Gandalf's deep voice interrupted him.

"And this is where I can fill in the gaps. Worry not Frodo, you will have your chance to explain." The young hobbit nodded his head and all those present leaned in to listen as the Wizard began his tale.

_Heledir knelt beside Legolas as his friend examined the arrow lying on the grass. Turning his head, Heledir caught sight of the arrow head covered in poison and it nearly turned his stomach. Taking a deep breath, Heledir began to talk to Legolas, trying to keep him awake. The brown haired elf was not even sure what he was saying. His mouth just kept moving. He tried to pull his friend up to his feet and nearly managed to do so when Legolas suddenly tipped backwards. Heledir was barely able to keep his Prince from smacking his head on the ground. Legolas was suddenly boneless and the unexpectedness of his loss of coordination had brought both warriors to the ground. Heledir called Legolas's name again and again, trying to get his attention. He thought he saw awareness in Legolas's blue eyes, but it quickly disappeared. Within a matter of minutes, Legolas began to blink lethargically and Heledir knew it was only a matter of time before he lost consciousness. He kept one hand pressed against the bleeding wound._

_Heledir let loose a sharp, three-burst whistle to signal to Nimdoron and the others that they were in desperate need of assistance._

_Looking back down, Heledir tried once again to keep one of his oldest friends awake. He called his name to no avail. Suddenly Legolas's eyes lost focus and they rolled upwards. A moment later, the tall elf's body began to seize._

_Heledir desperately tried to keep one hand on the wound and one hand holding the Prince down, but even in his weakened state, Legolas was very strong._

_A minute later, Nimdoron burst through the trees at a reckless speed from directly behind them. Heledir whirled around, weapon drawn, ready to defend his Prince. When he saw it was Nimdoron, he sighed and bent over Legolas again, to restrain him. Nimdoron ran over and helped. _

_Heledir felt a little bit better now that Nimdoron was there. The three of them, Legolas, Heledir and Nimdoron, had been best friends since childhood. At first, Heledir had thought they were very lucky to be assigned to the same patrol for the last five months. Now, he was not so sure. _

"_What happened?" Nimdoron demanded from Heledir._

_All Heledir said was "Poison." while nodding towards the discarded arrow lying in the grass. Half the patrol exited the forest, ready to attack the enemy, a moment later. Upon seeing the situation, the patrol took up defensives positions around the three elves._

_After seizing for more than ten whole minutes, Legolas finally fell still. Both Heledir and Nimdoron had been greatly worried by the uncontrollable shacking, but now that he was suddenly so still, their worries grew even more. They looked at each other and Heledir waited for Nimdoron, the second in command, to give an order._

"I did not know that you seized for ten minutes, Legolas." Estel's quiet voice cut off Gandalf's tale. He had a strange look in his eyes as he was looking at Legolas. No one, save Legolas and Gandalf knew what that particular look meant. "That is dangerous, even for an elf."

Estel always wanted to help his friends and he always got that look in his eyes, sadness, worry and a longing to help. Legolas understood his brother, his blood brother, more than most. Aragorn always believes that there is more that he can do to help. He is a healer after all. Such a selfless hear t this Man has.

Legolas gave his friend an understanding smile and quietly sent a prayer to Eru, thanking him for blessing Legolas with a brother like Estel. He loved the man as his brother.

The blonde elf reached a hand forward to rest on the Man's strong shoulders. What burdens they have bore, but Estel is strong. If only he did not worry himself with troubles that were before his time!

With a rueful shake of his head, Legolas realized that if this were so, Estel would not be the Estel he knew and loved. "All is well, gwador. Worry not." The elf said with a nod of his head.

Across the fire, Pippin saw something pass between the eyes of the man and elf as they held each other's gaze. He knew it was something that he would never really understand, but he did see understanding, trust and love. These two were the greatest of friends and the greatest of brothers. He felt safer just knowing that they were there to protect Frodo.

Gandalf cleared his throat and the moment was gone. The Fellowship turned to listen once again.

_They looked at each other and Heledir waited for Nimdoron, the second in command, to give an order._

_Nimdoron's eyes flicked around for a few seconds, as though he were at a loss of what to do or we was rapidly considering his options._

_Nimdoron's strong voice suddenly broke the eerie silence that had taken over the small clearing. "Alassiel, Melda,Morfindien, go! Get some branches and twine to make a litter. We need to get the Prince back as soon as possible. We cannot wait. Arbellason, Tawarthion ,Lindariel , set up a patrol around the area. The rest of you, take to the trees. Cover us. Heledir, you stay with me."_

_A few minutes later Alassiel, Melda and Morfindien came back with the supplies that they needed. Heledir and the three elves quickly assembled the litter. In that time, Legolas had begun to shake again, but this time it was from cold. His lips had turned blue and his teeth chattered._

_Once the litter was ready, Heledir and Nimdoron quickly moved Legolas to the litter and covered him with the blanket from Legolas's pack. Morfindien and Arbellason picked up the litter while the others protected them. Some were in the trees above and others were on the ground. Before they left, Heledir carefully wrapped the poisoned arrow in some clothe and stowed it in his supplies. The healers might need it later. _

_Nimdoron and Heledir acted as front guards for the group on the forest ground. The two friends shared a glance. They were both worried. Their friend was dying and they needed to get him to a healer. _

_The group worked their way north, meeting up with the rest of their patrol. Now thirty strong, the patrol quickly moved through the woods. With each hour that passed, Legolas's condition deteriorated. After nearly ten hours at a reckless speed, Nimdoron called a halt to their march._

_The two elves who had taken Morfindien and Arbellason's places at the litter gently put the prince down. Nimdoron made his way over to Legolas. The golden elf had gone very still. Is eyes were closed and he barely drew any breath. With practiced hands, Nimdoron easily found the prince's pulse at his neck._

_The dark haired elf bowed his head and sighed at what he found. Legolas's pulse was weak and sluggish. He would be surprised if Legolas lasted the night. Taking a water skin, he attempted to get Legolas to drink. He lifted the mouth piece to Legolas's lips and surprisingly, Legolas immediately began to swallow, even in sleep. _

_Taking a look around, Nimdoron observed the patrol. They were all exhausted. The fighting in this area had been intense for the last month or so. No one had been able to get much rest yesterday and their current sprint through the woods was not helping things. But, the patrol knew what was at stake. Their prince, their captain, was dying and he needed that healer. They all loved the golden haired elf. He was their captain, but he was also their friend. He led with love, not fear and they loved him for it. _

_After the group rested for twenty minutes, Nimdoron ordered them all up and they began north again. In about two hours, their patrol should meet up with Prince Daeron's patrol. They would hand Legolas off to them and Nimdoron would lead Legolas's patrol back south. They all desperately wanted to know if Legolas would live, but they could not abandon their territory. He did however, plan on sending Heledir with Legolas. The brown haired elf would take care of their friend, since Nimdoron could not be there. _

"Wait, I'm sorry. I'm confused." Pippin spoke up loudly. Merry and Sam both groaned audibly. The two hobbits shared an annoyed look. They just wanted to hear the end of the story and Pippin kept interrupting.

Pippin shot Sam and Merry a dark look before looking across the bright campfire at Legolas. "How far away were you from your home? When you were shot I mean." Pippin's face was scrunched in confusion.

Legolas had to smile at this. Pippin looked just like his nephew, Thandion, when he did not understand something. "Well, where my patrol was at the time, it takes about five or so days of fast travel to reach my home."

Pippin's eyes widened in shock but it was Gimli who spoke next. "You went five days with orc poison in your blood before getting to a healer?" he asked in shock. As soon as the words escaped his lips, the dwarf's face turned a bit red and he harrumphed. He had obviously not meant to voice that question aloud.

Legolas turned to the dwarf and nodded.

Gandalf cleared his throat once again, but he was cut off by Pippin. "Wait, I'm still confused. Who's Day-Dae- um, Dayren?" He had difficulty pronouncing the name.

Legolas smiled and answered, "Daeron is my youngest, older brother." Pippin's eyes narrowed as he processed that information. He slowly nodded his head and once again Gandalf cleared his throat to return to the tale.

However, Sam spoke up. "How many brothers do you have, Mr. Legolas?" Gandalf groaned and rolled his eyes. Inquisitive Hobbits! Estel attempted to hide a smile at the Wizard's loss of patience. The old man wanted to get this story over with so he could get some sleep!

Legolas's eyes flicked to Gandalf and he thought smugly, "Well, he started this. He deserves it." So with a smile, he slowly said, "Three, well, I had four. My oldest brother, Belegthon, died when I was a small child. My brother, Tursidhion, is now the crown prince of the realm. He is married to a lovely elleth named Helinniel and they have two children, Thandion and Eruraina. Megildur is the next oldest son and Daeron is after him. Indilwen is my only sister. She was born after Daeron. I am the youngest of my house. "

"Oh, alright." was all Sam said. Hobbits were used to large families. He did not think it was strange at all to have so many elven children.

And with that, the Hobbits, the men, the dwarf and the elf all turned towards the wizard. They were now ready for him to continue.

Gandalf rolled his eyes again and cleared his throat…again.

_The brown haired elf would take care of their friend, since Nimdoron could not be there._

_About an hour later, a sharp cry rang through the forest. Heledir quickly turned around and realized that Legolas was screaming from his litter. His back was arched in an unnatural position and his eyes were squeezed shut. He was in so much pain!_

_The two elves carrying the litter quickly put him down. Heledir and Nimdoron ran to the litter and tried to hold him down. The blonde elf was writhing in pain and when his two friends tried to hold him still, he panicked. Legolas tried to buck their weight off of him, but in his weakened state, he could not fight both of them. Nimdoron and Heledir both tried to speak to him, call out his name, but their prince did not seem to understand. _

_After nearly twenty minutes of this struggle, Legolas could not fight them anymore. He was breathing heavily, trying to get as much air as he could. Heledir and Nimdoron shared a worried look. Legolas was murmuring in his fever-induced state. They need to move faster._

_After less than an hour of fast walking, the group came upon Prince Daeron's patrol._

"_Halt!" an elf lieutenant cried out. The warriors stood upon a tree branch with arrows poised at the ready. "Declare yourself!"_

_It was at times like these that Nimdoron hated such protocols like these. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he declared the party and demanded a healer and the Prince Daeron immediately._

_A few sharp whistles to the patrol, Prince Daeron, the healer and the rest of the Prince's patrol came bursting through the trees._

_When Daeron caught sight of his brother, a distressed cry escaped his lips and he pushed his way to Legolas. When the healer and Daeron finally crossed the short distance and knelt beside the stricken prince, Legolas moaned in immense pain. The healer quickly set about prodding the wound and checking the extent of the damage and spreading of the poison. _

_Ten minutes later, Leoglas opened his eyes and started to look around. Daeron, the healer, Nimdoron and Heledir all crowded around him. They were all anxious to see how he was fairing. _

_Legolas bright blue eyes shined brightly as he took in his surroundings. Tears began to flood his eyes and leaked from the corners as he began to struggle to breathe. The blonde elf opened his mouth as though to speak, but found that he was unable. After a few moments of he began to thrash his arms in desperation as he realized he could not breathe._

_Suddenly his eyes rolled back into his skull and once again, his body seized uncontrollably. The healer and the others kneeling beside Legolas attempted to hold him down during the fit. After a few minutes the tremors finally stopped and Daeron, Nimdoron and Heledir all released a sigh of relief. Nimdoron and Heledir exchanged a glance. At least this seizure was not as long as the last. _

_A moment later, the healer suddenly sprang into action. He quickly rolled Legolas onto his side on the litter and began to thump his fist on the prince's back. Legolas was not breathing!_

_After nearly a whole minute of everyone exchanging worried looks, a horrible, wet retching sound filled the woods. Legolas was unconsciously retching a thick, black substance. The poison was spreading in his body, but thankfully he was breathing now._

"_My lord," the healer spoke to Daeron with the authority only a healer could have, "we need to get him to the palace as soon as possible. He will die here. I cannot do anything for him."_

_Daeron nodded his head and began to give orders to prepare horses. Heledir and Nimdoron lifted Legolas's litter and followed Daeron and his patrol into camp._

_Daeron quickly selected five of his warriors to accompany the small group back to the palace. The healer deemed it safe enough to take Legolas off the litter and have him ride a horse with someone. At this point, they could not waste any time. He needed care now. Daeron, Heledir, the five warriors and the healer would be taking Legolas back home. _

_Just as they were about to put Legolas on Daeron's horse, Legolas's eyes snapped open and he gasped as though he were plagued by a terrible dream. A cry escaped his lips before he realized where he was. His bright, cerulean eyes sought and found his brother's. With a weakened grasp, he laid hold of Daeron's tunic and began to whisper so softly that only Daeron could hear him when he leaned close._

"_Daer, tell ada ..." he paused to catch his breath, "and naneth… that I love them. …and Turs and Indi…all of them. Love them." He panted for a few moments before starting again, "Tell Ari I am… sorry…. not keep promise." _

_The effort of speaking left him more exhausted then he would have ever thought possible._

"Wait! How in all of Arda could you possible know what I said? I mean, no one else even heard me! And Daer told me he never told anyone what I said." Legolas angrily demanded. This was ridiculous. The Wizard was not even there and he knows for a fact that Daeron had never spoken a word about Legolas's last request.

Gandalf took and released an almighty breath before turning his stern gaze upon the irritated elf.

Suddenly, the stern gaze turned into a knowing smile and the old man simply said, "I am a wizard." as if that explained everything.

Legoals simply stared in disbelief, while Aragorn fought to hide his laughter. Gandalf once again cleared his throat and resumed the tale.

_The effort of speaking left him more exhausted then he would have ever thought possible. He was so tired that he barely felt himself being put onto the horse and Daeron climbing up behind him._

_After a few minutes the small group headed home at a fast pace. Nimdoron waited until he could no longer see his friends any longer and he ordered his troops to turn back to their patrol. As they left for the south, Nimdoron said a prayer to Eru for mercy._

_Unbeknownst to him, Legolas had just lost the battle for consciousness and slumped forward on Daeron's horse. If Daeron had not had a secure grip on his little brother, Legolas's body would have met the ground. Daeron too said a prayer to Eru._

* * *

><p>Hey everyone!<p>

I am sooo sorry for the 2 week delay! life has gotten crazy. a good crazy but i havent been able to write. again i am soo sorry! i rele hate it when that happens to a story i am reading.

So im thinking theres going to be one more chap. MAYBE 2. idk yet.

translations :

Belegthon -Legolas's oldest (dead) brother - Pine Tree

Tursidhion -Legolas's oldest (living) brother and Crown Prince- Victorious Peace

He is married to Helinniel - Violet

their children are Thandion(m) - Shield- and Eruraina(f)- God is Gracious

Megildur -Legolas's second oldest living brother - Sword

Daeron -Legolas's youngest living brother-Great

Indilwen - Legolas's sister (who is older than Legolas but younger than the rest) - Lilly

the troops-

Alassiel (f) - joyful

Melda (f) - Beloved

Morfindien (m)- dark-haired

Arbellason (m) - Noble Strength

Tawarthion (m) - Woods

Lindariel (f)- Melody

ALRIGHT thats it. the other names he mentioned will be explained later. the character **Ari** is from my other story Survival. if ur curious, go check it out and leave me a comment. WINK WINK hahaha

thank you Chaell Virato, Chiaki Fujiwara, Janelover1, Metoochocolate. Daisymall13, Aranel Mereneth and Special K the Great for your reviews! you guys make writed soo much more fun and encouraging!

ok thanks everyone!


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